THE VCSE Health Improvement Fund has supported 68 voluntary organisations across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with a total investment of £645,000 via the Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) based at Lawhitton.

The VCSE Health Improvement Fund forms part of the broader NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (ICB) funding being led and managed by Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum.

The overarching principle is to enable VCSE organisations to sustain, maintain and enhance their services to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for people and communities in Cornwall, evidencing its collective potential to reduce health inequalities.

The 10-year strategy for the ICB aims to ensure people in Cornwall can Start Well, Live Well and Age Well. We know that 12.4 per cent of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s population live in the 20 per cent most deprived areas in England and organisations operating within these areas were encouraged to apply.

Included in the 67 successful applicants were:

Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change in Redruth who will use their funding to provide essential services, support and advice to their local communities which will revolve around four key areas: being heard; emergency assistance; learning; and physical improvement.

Penryn-based Arts Well CIC, were awarded funding to continue to deliver workshops all across Cornwall focused on creative health and wellbeing activities including visual arts, music, and dance for people of all ages.

Cornwall Pride was successfully awarded to complete training for 11 new volunteers who will work to support members of the LGBTQ+ community.

A grant was awarded to True Butterflies Foundation who support individuals and families who have experienced domestic abuse and are looking for support to help rebuild their lives through mentoring, therapy and workshops.

Cornwall Refuge Trust received funding to help the continuation of their free therapy and counselling project – WAVES. These sessions have proven to have significant overall impact on an individual's wellbeing; improving each client's psychological wellbeing and confidence; allowing them to go into further education; apply for jobs; manage conflict; seek justice; and have a voice.

Cornwall Blind Association t/a iSight Cornwall received a grant to support their Sense-Ability Project which supports the most vulnerable and isolated blind and partially sighted people of Cornwall.

Tamas Haydu, CEO of CCF, said: “We are so grateful to the VSF and the ICB for their incredible generosity with this funding. This has been CCF’s largest ever fund to date and it is incredible to see so many deserving applicants being awarded and to see first hand how impactful this funding will be to so many people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

To find out more about funding available to charities and grassroots organisations across Cornwall and Isle of Scilly visit www.cornwallcommunityfoundation.com